I WOULD like to thank residents in York for voting Labour at the local elections and for giving me the opportunity to lead the council to deliver on our manifesto pledges. It is a honour I do not take lightly.

I welcome to the Labour benches new councillors Neil Barnes, Stephen Burton, Linsay Cunningham-Cross, Fiona Fitzpatrick, Gerard Hodgson, Lynn Jeffries, David Levene, Neil McIlveen, Joseph Riches, Anna Semlyen and Dafydd Williams.

To the Conservative benches, I welcome George Barton, Paul Doughty, Tony Richardson and Chris Steward. To the independent benches I welcome Mark Warters and to the Lib Dem benches I welcome the return of Ian Cutherbertson.

Labour took control of the council at the annual council meeting yesterday. This does not mean we now believe everything the council does is now right and correct. We will be the residents’ voice in the council and not the council’s voice among residents.

Difficult times are ahead with further funding cuts from the Conservative-led Government and the hard work begins now.

I now get to work repaying the honour that has been bestowed on me. City of York Council is under new management.

Coun James Alexander, Labour leader of City of York Council.

• JAMES Alexander (Letters, May 25) needs to move on quickly from spending his time misrepresenting his political opponents as he seeks to make the difficult transition into becoming the leader of a city.

His claims that the last council planned “a second Council HQ” have been proven to be bogus. He bases this claim on the planned move of the staff who work at the Acomb office In Carr Lane into an extension to the Explore Library on Front Street.

With the lease on the present Acomb office due to expire next year, and with rent costs in excess of £50,000 a year, any responsible council would look long and hard at the business case for consolidating activities. For customers, it would mean the introduction of a one-stop shop.

If Labour simply intend to close the Acomb office and make residents from York’s largest suburban area travel into the city centre to meet council staff, then they would be wise to undertake a disability discrimination assessment on the effects that such a decision could have on those who have most difficulty in getting about.

Reuben Mayne, Grayshon Drive, Acomb, York.